


Our Duty

by SmolAndrogyne



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29096445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmolAndrogyne/pseuds/SmolAndrogyne
Summary: The Clone Wars created a lot of different opportunities in the galaxy.Captain Rex never thought that the Pilot he met during the battle of Geonosis when the war first started would impact his life as much as it would. Lane Dunlyst, a private protection pilot for Senator Padme Amidala, was only focused on doing his job. Being tossed into a war changed a lot of things. There was more to life than his service to the Senator and his assistance with the army. They do say you may find love in odd places. Found family was extremely important Lane discovered as the war raged on. Standing side by side, the Captain and his Pilot focused on surviving the war so they may have the chance to do more with their lives. Their duty to the Galactic Republic did not necessarily change but expanded to include the duty of family.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Prelude

Lane Dunlyst met the most important people in his life during some pretty horrible events in history. Not a single one would ever be forgotten. The entire reason Lane found his life following a path of chaos was because of one quick decision.

  
Lane had no memory of his parents or any other blood-related family. For as long as he could remember, Lane was a slave. While slavery was not a very open business, the underground system thrived with it. Lane’s exotic appearance brought in a lot of credits. Dark skin littered with light freckles, white hair, and magenta eyes. The slave wasn’t entirely human, but no one knew his true heritage. The attitude and spirit brought on a challenge to the new slave master. Lane never gave up fighting.

  
One trade left Lane in the hands of Sebulba. The male Dug was well known in many communities for his skills as a pod racer and his strong hand over his slaves. Lane learned very quickly that Sebulba would not stand for any smart remarks.

  
The first important person Lane had met on the sand planet of Tatooine was Anakin Skywalker. The young human boy, who was only 9, was owned by a local junk dealer by the name of Watoo. The Toydarian was also heavily involved in human trafficking. The same human trafficker that scored a deal with Sebulba to sell Lane when he was only 12 years old.

  
Lane’s time on Tatooine luckily did not last very long. A Jedi arrived with a handmaid at his side. They needed parts for their ship. The only way to win those parts with no credits was to bet something in the pod races. Watto often had Anakin participate in the pod races but always bet that Sebulba would win. Sebulba would always win. In this particular race, Sebulba was so confident that he would likely kill the child during the race that he bet Lane. If Sebulba lost the race, Lane would be given to the Jedi who wanted parts for the ship and Anakin Skywalker. If he won, Sebulba wanted that Gungan Jar Jar Binks so he could teach the fool a lesson.

  
The Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn agreed to the terms, having strong confidence in Anakin.

  
It was well placed.

  
Anakin won.

  
Anakin was free.

  
Lane was free.

  
This is when Lane met the next two most important people in his life. Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi was under Qui-Gon’s teaching. He would eventually become Anakin’s Master when Qui-Gon died at the hands of a Sith Lord. Obi-Wan Kenobi would ensure that Lane did not have to worry about being sold ever again. This is where Padme Amidala came in.

At only 15 years old, she was Queen of Naboo at the time of Lane’s liberation from slavery. The Jedi were focused on saving Naboo from the invasion of droids from the Trade Federation. During a battle on the palace grounds, Anakin and Lane ended up in fighter ships. They both ended up in a space battle. They both proved their proficient skills at piloting.

Padme offered Lane an opportunity to work with her as a private pilot. The young Queen who quickly became a Senator held a lot of trust in Lane. That trust would save her life many times. Thanks to Lane’s plans, piloting skills, and quick thinking, Lane would save the Senator from an assassination attempt.

The attempt on Padme’s life was just the beginning of a longer story. Lane would accompany both the Senator and Anakin Skywalker through their journey. They would all eventually end up on Geonosis. The following battle would mark the start of the Clone Wars.

Under Jedi commands, 192,000 Clone troopers set foot on the dusty planet. This battle is where Lane would meet the absolutely most important person in his life. A trooper with strong will and a confident hand over his squad, the Torrent Company. The blond buzzcut would always give him away. CT-7567, who would later be known as Rex, would save Lane’s life during the battle. A favor that Lane instantly returned.

During the initial battle, Lane lost sight of Anakin and Padme. There were droids, Jedi, and Geonosians covering the Arena. Lane still had one hand locked in the chain from the pillar but it had snapped off. Lane held the length of chain in his hand, ready to use it on anyone who got too close.

Large ships that Lane had never seen before descended onto the battlefield. Master Yoda was in one of the ships with a multitude of men clad in identical white armor. These were the Clones. Several jumped off the ships and jumped right into the fight.

Lane heard a horrid growl from behind him and froze. The large Gundark had its eyes on its prey, which happened to be Lane. It was the creature that the Geonosians tasked to kill the pilot. Lane spun around quickly. The Gundark charged with a roar. Lane inhaled deeply before jumping as high as he could.

The Gundark ran into the loop of chain that Lane had strategically placed. It wrapped around its neck. Lane landed on his feet and pulled as hard as he could. The Gundark roared again, hardly affected. It turned to face Lane. The pilot swallowed nervously.

Before the Gundark could charge again, two blaster shots hit its head. The Gundark dropped heavily. Lane spun around, his ears ringing from the blaster firing near his head. A trooper had two blasters outstretched in his hands.

“Thanks.”

“Are you alright?” The trooper holstered his weapons and began to mess with the cuff still on Lane’s wrist.

“Better now that backup is here. What’s your name?”

“CT-7657.”

“No.” Lane snapped sharply, causing the Trooper to look up. “I asked for your name.”

He seemed to hesitate as he got back to working on the cuff. “The others call me Rex.”

Lane grabbed one of the blasters from the holster on Rex’s left hip. Rex grabbed Lane’s elbow. Before he could remove the blaster from Lane’s grip, the pilot fired it twice. Two heavily armored droids dropped. Rex looked back at them before turning his attention to Lane.

“Now we are even, Rex.”

“Yes, sir.”

With the helmet on, Lane could not see the smirk that crossed Rex’s face. The pilot had impressed the trooper. Together, the pair made their way back to one of the dropships. Lane stayed with Rex throughout the rest of the battle and would not hear about Anakin’s injuries till later on. Rex was an amazing Captain. Every decision, although made quickly, was carefully thought out. The strategic mind of Rex was incredible.

Lane held onto Rex’s blaster for the rest of the battle. While no military expert, Lane was very familiar with flight patterns. This also meant that Lane knew how to get around the enemy. Lane would end up taking a gunship around the back of the incoming droids. Thanks to this maneuver, the shield generators were destroyed and the droids were easily defeated. The Republic had won the battle, but the war was far from over.

The Pilot and the Captain had no idea of what was coming in the future ahead of them.


	2. Battle of Arantara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The results of a nearly fatal battle for Captain Rex came with a promotion and a lesson from Lane on a certain holo board game.

Rex was still in shock. His general had come back for him, a clone. Even more shocking, Anakin Skywalker had told him that leaders always lead from the front. Rex didn’t think he would ever forget that. The General had proved to Rex that the clones were more than just clones to the Jedi. Someone actually valued them. Someone valued HIM.  
It was more than just Anakin.

The 501st returned to the Resolute after the battle. Rex was in the medbay, an ice pack pressed to his face. The impact of his helmet exploding had left a number on his face. The medics were not concerned about any scarring. Not that it mattered. Many clones had scars.

Rex was informed later that Anakin Skywalker had picked him as his second-in-command when he visited the injured Captain.

“How are you doing Rex?”

“Fine, sir. Nothing I can’t handle.”

Anakin smirked. “Good. I want you to rest. I can’t have my second off the field for long, now can I?”

“Sir?”

The Jedi merely patted Rex on the shoulder. “You earned it.”

“Thank you, sir.” Rex grinned.

Anakin stepped away. Before he left the medbay, the Jedi turned back to the Captain. Rex raised an eyebrow.

“Sir?”

“Expect another visitor soon, Rex.”

“Who, sir?”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out”, Anakin left the med bay.

Rex was confused, but as Anakin had stated, the visitor did arrive very soon.

~

Padme had entrusted the task of delivering supplies to the front lines to her best pilot, Lane. While on Coruscant, she had her protection guard there to keep her safe. Lane was not absolutely needed unless she left the planet. Lane was given a scout ship that held more medical supplies. The ship was on course for the Resolute.  
There had been a good number of casualties from the battle but the Republic had scored another victory. Lane was concerned about the troopers. Every life had value. Lane was still not convinced that the clones had a choice when it came to the war. When he realized that the clones were breeding for battle, it sickened him. It was some form of legal slavery.

Lane would do his damnedest to ensure that the clones who died were honored in some way.  
Lane landed in the hanger of the Resolute after coming out of hyperspace. The hanger bay was full of troopers that were tending to the numerous ships. Lane stepped off his ship. Two troopers hurried over to greet him.

Lane smiled and nodded. “Afternoon, gentlemen.”

“Sir, glad to see you.”

Lane waved his hand. “Wasn’t too hard. What are your names? Real names.”

The two troopers glanced at one another. “I’m Slim and this is Fury.”

“Pleasure to meet you. I trust that you can get the supplies unloaded?”

Fury, who had a gnarly scar across his neck saluted. “Yes, sir.”

“Wonderful, now can one of you direct me to the medbay?”

The hallways were even busier than the hanger. Troopers were heading off in all directions, tasked with different things. Lane only had to ask two other troopers for directions. The Resolute was a Venator-class Star Destroyer. It was massive. It had to be, in order to house the entirety of the 501st.

Lane noted that the troopers looked different compared to the first time he had seen them. The 501st had adopted a royal blue color to accent their armor. It was amazing to see all the tiny details each trooper had. Individualism was important for them. Lane respected that and encouraged it.

Lane hummed to himself as he kept walking through the halls. Some troopers stopped to look at him. Lane was clearly not a clone and was not wearing anything close to the 501st color pallet. The flight suit was dark green with black accents. It clashed horribly with Lane’s eyes, but he didn’t care much. The pilot preferred the darker colors because with the helmet on, he was able to blend in better. It was a trick he kept when dealing with the safety of Senator Amidala.

Lane finally made it to the medbay and it was bigger than he anticipated. It made sense in reality, based on the large crew aboard the ship. The pilot looked around for any familiar troopers. One of the medics noticed him and stepped closer.

“Can I help you, sir?”

“Ah- yea, sorry. Anakin told me I could find Captain Rex in here?”

“That way, sir.” The medic pointed to the back left.

“Thank you.”

Lane walked past the medic and headed further in. Some of the injured troopers were sleeping. There was a lot of bacta going around. Lane was glad that he requested extra supplies be added to his cargo. Even if it wasn’t all used right away, it would be used very soon.

Rex was exactly where the medic stated he was. The Captain was still pressing a cool compress to the left side of his face. Instead of lying down, the captain was seated at the edge of the bed. His back was to Lane. There was a datapad in his hands.

“Captain?”

Rex turned in surprise, posture straightening. “Sir?”

“Long time no see, Rex.” Lane stepped around the bed. “Anakin told me about your promotion, I came to congratulate you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The pilot rolled his eyes as he sat across from Rex. “C’mon Rex, you don’t have to be so formal with me.”

“It’s a habit…”

Lane smiled softly. Gently, he pushed Rex’s hand that was holding the compress away from his face. Rex allowed it, watching the pilot closely. The bruising had grown very dark as time passed.

“That looks like it hurts.”

“Knocked me out...broke my helmet.”

“They need to make stronger armor then.”

Rex hummed in agreement. “What are you doing here, Lane? I thought you were on Coruscant.”

“I was. I came to bring the 501st more supplies.”

“The 212th could have delivered it.”

“Anakin asked for me personally. He knows I can get through a blockade if one showed up.”

“That’s dangerous work for a civi.”

Lane chuckled. “Good thing I’m not a civi.”

Rex raised an eyebrow. “You’re military then?”

“Well-no. I’m just a special case. You don’t have to worry about me getting into too much trouble. I can handle myself.”

The memory of Lane shooting the armored droids came to mind. “I don’t doubt that, sir.”

“Good. Now, do you think you’re well enough to walk, or are you hiding another injury that I can’t see?”

“No, sir, I can walk just fine.”

“Good- mind showing me the way to the mess hall? I believe we both could use some food.”  
Rex nodded. Abandoning the cold compress, he stood. The trooper stood a few inches taller than the white-haired pilot. Lane let Rex lead the way, but walked alongside him. Troopers saluted the Captain as they walked the halls. Rex either saluted back or nodded in response. Lane could not help but smile. Rex was a natural leader.

“How long are you staying on the Resolute?”

Lane shrugged. “Until Anakin sends me back I suppose. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Rex grabbed a cup of caf in the mess hall and a wrapped sandwich. Lane grabbed some random items. The two grabbed a seat at an empty table. There were other soldiers eating at the other tables. The mess hall was huge.

Rex sipped his caf. “Why is that?”

“I’m always working- I’m sure you can understand. I just do what is asked of me when it is asked.”

“Yea… I understand that. Good soldiers follow orders.”

A smirk tugged at Lane’s lips. The pilot cracked into the food, not caring about the taste. Military rations were not good by any means. But a hot meal was still a hot meal. Lane was never one to complain.

Rex tapped his knuckles on the table. “How do you know the General?”

“Kinda grew up together? We met when we were kids. Both saved by Jedi. He went with the Jedi and I stayed with Senator Amidala- who at the time was still Queen of Naboo.”

“Saved?”

Lane blew out a puff of air. “Slavery is a nasty business.”

Rex tensed at the comment. “I thought slavery was illegal in the Republic.”

“It is. It doesn’t stop the underground rings from running.”

The Captain nodded slowly. The two ate in silence for a while. Rex did not want to press further on the subject. It was not his business to pry into anyway.

“What do you do to relax around here, Rex?”

“Uh…”

Lane narrowed his eyes. “If you say any form of training, I swear.”

Rex remained silent and shrugged.

Lane huffed and finished his drink. “I’m SO teaching you Dejarik.”

“What is that?”

“Dejarik is a two-player game. It’s played on a holo board so each piece is a creature and you battle. Just trust me- where’s the closet holo board?”

“There’s one in each barrack but no one uses it.”

“That changes, right now, lead the way, Rex.”

The Captain sighed. He was hesitant about this game the pilot mentioned. But good soldiers followed orders so he led Lane to the closest barrack. Every man stood at attention. Rex gave them permission to be at ease. Lane dragged Rex to the round table. There were different colored spaces on the board.

“Alright, here we go…” Lane tinkered with the side panel.

The rest of the men watched curiously. The board suddenly illuminated with holographic creatures. Lane picked four creatures that moved to stand in the outer ring of the board. Rex did the same, picking different creatures. He wasn’t sure what each creature meant. Lane quickly changed that.

“Ok, so I have Grimtaash, Kintan Strider, Monnok, and Ng’ok. If you hover a hand over them it will tell you the stats. You picked Ghhk, Houjix, K’lor’slug, and Mantellian Savrip. So, the point of this is to win the battle essentially. Each turn you can either move and attack, only attack, or move and use a ‘special ability’. Make sense?”

“So far.”

“Alright. I’ll go first.”

Lane had Ng'ok move two spots. Rex followed suit and moved. The captain took a minute to analyze the different stats that each piece had. Battle plans formed in his mind. Once Rex figured out how to play, Lane stood no chance. It did not take long for the last piece to remain standing. Rex’s Houjix body slammed Lane’s Monnok, ending the game.

“Damn!” Lane pouted. “Should have known that a Captain would be good at a battle game.”

Rex smirked. “Strategies are my specialty.”

“Fair enough. You won.” Lane sat back in his seat and looked at the other troopers. “You guys can play during your free time. There’s a table in each barracks. It’s fun.”

Many of the troopers nodded with a smile. Rex chuckled. The Captain watched the Pilot answer the questions that his men had about the game. It amazed Rex how comfortable they all seemed. They were so used to the cold treatment from Kamino. The long-necks only viewed them as stock. Nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knew Dejarik would be so interesting?  
> Hope you enjoy!


	3. Mission to Benglor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The scorching heat of a planet leaves much to be desired as a small squad investigates the planet of Benglor for Separatist forces; only to result in the unexpected.

Lane did not envy the troops on the planet. Benglor was HOT. The atmosphere was enough to make the pilot sweat. The troopers were also sweating profusely and had removed their helmets so they wouldn’t completely melt. Lane stayed inside the ship where the recycled air was significantly cooler.

  
Anakin had asked Lane to fly him and his team down to the planet surface before Lane returned to Padme on Coruscant. They were investigating for any sign of Separatist presence. Any planet that fell under the control of the Separatists was another loss for the Republic. Even the uncomfortable planets had to be protected.

Lane groaned, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. Despite the recycled air, the ship was starting to get hot. Standing up from the pilot seat, Lane exited the ship. There was something he could do while he waited. It had been nearly an hour since the troopers had left.

Lane grabbed a case and hauled it outside. The trees gave barely any shade which did not help at all, but it was still better than direct sunlight. It was surprising that the planet had any vegetation at all. The planet was very close to its sun, hence the heat.

Lane opened the case at the base of the tree and pulled out a vibroblade. The tree was very hard when Lane pressed the blade into it. Despite the struggle, the blade did its job. Lane squinted at the hole he made. His assumption had been correct. Cool fluid started to drip down the trunk of the tree.

Lane swabbed some of the goo on his gloved finger and pressed it into a slot on the machine in the case. The machine beeped quietly while it analyzed it. Knowing that it would take a few minutes, Lane stood. He unzipped the top half of his flight suit and tied the sleeves around his waist. The thick material was only adding to the heat. Lane groaned and rolled his arms out. The white tank top he was wearing under the flight suit was soaked.

This planet was creating a serious risk of heatstroke.

“Lane!”

The pilot turned sharply. The troopers were sprinting out of the forest. Lane rushed over to meet them. They were all panting; exhausting themselves in the heat. The pilot quickly noticed that Anakin and two troopers were not with them.

“What happened!?!”

Data grit his teeth, gripping his dark hair. “Something ate Bellow!”

Lanes’ eyes went wide. “What?”

Rex pulled out his blasters, turning to leave. Lane hurried past the remaining troops and grabbed his arm.

“Rex, where are you going!”

“I got my men to safety so I’m going to help the General! Stay here!”

Lane let go of Rex’s arm and sighed. The Captain quickly disappeared into the vegetation. The pilot turned back to the men that had made it back in one piece. Data and Jin. Bellow was dead. No one had mentioned Hardcase yet and Rex just ran back into the forest.

“Are either of you injured?”

“No, sir.” They replied in sync. Both soldiers were clearly soaked through. Even the thermodynamics of their blacks were not enough to combat the heat. With the heavy armor and running around they just did, Lane was sure it added to the risk.

“Onto the ship boys, get some water. If you get heatstroke it’ll be trouble.”

“Sir, yes, sir.”

Lane snorted and swatted at the troopers. They both managed to smile teasingly. Any trooper that had interacted with Lane knew that he hated the formalities. That meant that all the troopers did it more so just to get a rise out of the pilot.

The troopers followed the instructions given. Lane went back to the case under the tree to check the results. The liquid from the trees was mostly water and had no sign of toxins. Lane grinned. There was less concern about hydration now. They had not found a nearby water source but the fluid inside the trees would suffice. Lane started to gather the fluid in bottles. Any cut in the tree caused it to ooze.

Half an hour later, the rest of the squad finally showed up. Rex was lecturing Hardcase about following orders while Anakin watched. The Jedi Master waved a hand at Lane who waved back. Approaching the Jedi, Lane raised an eyebrow. Rex continued to scold Hardcase nearby.

“What happened out there?”

“Some weird creature set a trap.”

“A trap?”

“Yea. Laid out droid parts in a line like a trail. Bellow….he got too close. Damn thing swallowed him whole. Nearly got Hardcase.”

Lane frowned. “Kriff…”

Anakin let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his head. “Where’s the rest of ‘em?”

“In the ship. I’m worried about heatstroke. It’s hotter than sith out here. I did find something to keep us hydrated, but I don’t think we should stay here for very long.”

Anakin nodded slowly. “I’ll comm Obi-Wan with what we found.”

“Sounds good.”

The tall Jedi walked off. Lane wiped away more sweat from his forehead as he glanced towards Rex. The Captain was finally done talking Hardcase’s ear off. Hardcase went into the ship with the others to get out of the heat. Rex sighed deeply, looking back at the Pilot. Lane titled his head. Rex walked over to Lane, sweat gleaming on his face.

“I’m sorry to hear about Bellow…”

Rex nodded stiffly. “He was a good soldier.”

“He was a good man.” Lane corrected, voice soft.

The Captain pursed his lips, thinking back to how Anakin also stated that the clones were more than soldiers. Despite the loss of a man, it gave Rex some peace knowing that he would be remembered as more than a number. Rex snapped out of his thoughts when Lane wiped his forehead.

“Geez, you’re drenched. You’ve got to be dehydrated.”

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

Lane rolled his eyes before offering a bottle of liquid from the tree. “Drink this.”

“What is it?”

“Dunno, but it’s safe. I tapped it out of the surrounding trees. The moisture is hiding inside.”

Rex took a swig and made a face. It was super bitter. Lane snickered to himself. A glare was sent towards the Pilot. There was no real intent behind the gaze, however. The liquid was cool and it made Rex’s chest feel less tight.

“Well, it’s certainly hydrating.”

“I never said it was going to be good.”

“That you didn’t.” Rex handed the drink back to the Pilot.

“So, what’s our next plan of attack here, Rex? Are there still Separatists?”

“If there were clankers here, they’re long gone now. There are droid scraps everywhere. I think the environment is too hostile.”

“Too hot.” Lane squinted at the sun. “In this weather, it could cause problems in droids.”

“How so?”

“Circuits risk breaking down at exposure from high temperatures, especially when it is prolonged. They may have tried to scout the area but broke down. Hell- their energy banks could explode.”

Rex raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Good to know.”

“Extreme temperatures are generally not a good thing. Unless they create a base that has a successful cooling unit and doesn’t run out of coolant, the chance of them setting up a base here successfully is slim.” Lane looked back at Rex, “In my opinion. I’m no expert.”

“It’s still good knowledge.”

Lane smirked, taking a sip of the liquid, and gagged. “Kriff! That is bad.”

Rex chuckled. “You’re the one that found it.”

“I almost wish I hadn’t. That taste is sticking to my tongue.” Lane stuck out his tongue to emphasize his point.

“We might have something in our rations to flavor it.”

“Rex you are a genius! I think I have a pear hiding somewhere.”

Rex chuckled and followed the excited pilot. Anakin was busy talking to Obi-Wan on the holocom at the front of the ship. The rest of the troopers were sitting down, hydrating themselves.

Lane found the desired fruit in their pack and hurried back outside to the collection jar. Rex raised an eyebrow but continued to follow. The pilot sliced the pear open using the vibro blade. Using both hands, Lane squeezed half of the pear. The fruit crushed easily. Juice and pieces of the pear fell into the collection jar. Once satisfied, Lane closed the lid and shook the liquids together.

“I hope this works. It’s gotta be like a warm smoothie or juice.”

“Smoothie?”

Lane groaned. “Kriff- Rex, you’ve never had a smoothie?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“I am buying you one the next time we are both in Coruscant.”

“There’s no need for you to do that.”

“No arguing.” Lane took a swig of the mixture. “That...isn’t terrible.”

Rex took the container to taste it himself. The pear juice had helped with the bitterness. While still present, the sweetness balanced it out. To Rex, it tasted really great. The Captain took another large swig. Lane grinned as he watched.

“I will count that as a win.”

“You’re sure it’s not going to poison us?”

“Nothing came up in the scan. Besides, even if it did, we’d be fine.”

“You sound so sure.”

Lane took the container back. “What’s life without a little risk, Rex? Boring. That’s what. I enjoy some craziness from time to time.”

“That’s an odd outlook to have during a war.”

“You might be right. But I met all my good friends because of it.”

Rex leaned against the tree, arms crossed. “Is that so?”

“It’s how I met you. On Geonosis, when this all started.”

“That’s a good point.”

Lane grinned, his magenta eyes even brighter in the sunlight. “I don’t regret any of it.”


	4. Brothers Rescue on Krystar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word of POW troops sends Lane with Senator Amidala, accompanied by Cody's troops, to the planet of Krystar to free them.

Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Star Destroyer was very much like the Resolute that was under Anakin’s control. It was odd to walk down the hallways and see the gold color accenting the armor in place of the blue that Lane was used to seeing. Padme Amidala had received some vital intel that needed to be addressed with Obi-Wan in person. Seeing as the Senator was going off-world, Lane accompanied her as her pilot and protection.

Obi-Wan was busy briefing Cody on the mission in the war room.

“Kyrstar is still a member of the Galactic Republic- at least for now. Launching an assault on the planet without any proof to justify our actions would not be wise.” Obi-Wan stated while stroking his beard in thought.

Cody looked concerned. “But General Kenobi, these are our brothers we’re talking about. If they’re being secretly held as prisoners of war, we must do something about it.”

“I share your concern, Commander Cody. But I do believe a more subtle tactic is in order. Senator Amidala..?”  
Padme crossed her arms, standing to Lane’s left. “Word about the Clone POWs came to me from my longtime friend Vishar Koss, a representative from Krystar. She not only alerted me to the situation, but she also provided me with valuable intel.”

Lane handed a small drive stick to the Senator. The Pilot was not in his usual flight suit. The outfit was far more political in the sense of professionality. Lane didn’t mind wearing the clothing, it just wasn’t his style. The Senator on the other hand was dressed more appropriately for a battle situation. A fancy dress was no place for a dangerous encounter. A wise choice. Both the Senator and the Pilot matched a shade of maroon somewhere on their clothing.  
Padme stepped forward to the holotable to display a map. “The Krystar Palace is located here, at the heart of the planet’s habitable zone. According to my friend, the local Regent has constructed a compound- in secret- not far from the place.”

Cody narrowed his eyes. “A secret compound? Well, that doesn’t seem at all suspicious.”

“If what Vishar says is true, the Separatists have been bringing captured soldiers there- though she hasn’t seen it herself. Vishar is too afraid of the local regent to investigate on her own.”

Obi-Wan looked at his men. “Our mission is simple- gather intel. Find out what this compound is and discover if it is, indeed, holding prisoners of war.”

“I can get us to the surface under the guise of a diplomatic aid mission”, Padme added. “I may be able to send Lane to look for clues but the rest is in your hands.”

Lane nodded once. Cody glanced at the Pilot, catching his gaze. Cody had heard of this particular Pilot. This was the first time the Commander had met him. Lane typically helped out the 501st and Anakin Skywalker. The war was young, however, and Cody had a feeling this would not be the last time he worked with the Pilot.

“And if Krystar is holding Republic soldiers prisoner, we will respond accordingly”, Obi-Wan promised his men.

~

Krystar was a mucky planet. The atmosphere created a dark overcast. The buildings in the habitable zone worked with the vegetation. If you could call it vegetation. Everything looked dead and dried out. Overall very dark and murky.

Lane landed the ship at the designated landing zone. The palace was a large tower in the center of the habitable zone that was close to where they landed. Obi-Wan, Lane, and Padme stepped off the ship. The guards led them inside. While the representative of Krystar was expecting their arrival, the leader evidently was not.  
The people of Krystar were short with green skin. Horns curved out from the tops of their heads and some jutted out for their jawbones. They were very interesting creatures. The Regent looked down at the guests from his throne. He was clearly displeased.

“Diplomatic aid mission”, the Regent questioned after Senator Amidala explained her presence. “What diplomatic aid mission? This was never cleared with me, Queen Amidala.”

“It’s Senator, Regent Queb, and I apologize if there’s any confusion. But I was invited to Krystar to look into-”

“It was me!” A voice interrupted the Senator; the voice belonged to the representative of Krystar and the source of intel. “I invited Senator Amidala. I thought she could look into our agriculture problems. She’s so skilled and carries such a powerful voice in the Senate, I figured… maybe she could be of assistance? That’s not a problem, is it, Regent?”

Regent Queb glared at the pair of Senators. “I don’t have time for this. Your friend may enter the palace- but she’s to remain inside the palace at all times!”

Padme smiled at her friend. “Is he always this cordial with guests?”

Vishar hummed, “As a matter of fact, yes… yes, he is.”

Obi-Wan headed back to the ship where the troopers were ready. Lane followed the Senators into the Palace. The guard did not appear to be very strong or large in number. It was odd that such an important place was left unguarded. Lane wondered if it was because they had less to fear; an outside influence. If someone, like the Separatists, had promised them protection it would explain the lack of guards.

As the small group of three came to a split in the road, Padme raised her hand and snapped her fingers. That was the sign. Lane split off from the Senators. The Pilot walked quietly to avoid attention. If there was something to be hidden in the palace, it would likely be outside with the Regent. The Regent was very particular about Senator Amidala remaining inside after all.

It was not very difficult to find an entrance that led outside. The air was heavier and smelled murky. Regent Queb was indeed walking outside. The Regent wasn’t alone. Lane narrowed his eyes as he watched a figure emerge from the darkness. When the Pilot realized who was standing down there, he quickly grabbed his comm link.

“Senator Amidala?”

“Lane? What is it? Did you find something?”

“Oh yea, you could say that...can you patch us through to Obi-Wan?”

“Yes- one moment.”

The comm link beeped a few times as Padme created a call with Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master answered immediately.

“Padme, is everything all right?”

“Yes, Lane has found something.”

Lane peered down at the Regent and the Trandoshan who was speaking. “I was tailing Queb and found something. He’s currently talking to a Trandoshan. I’m concerned that the captured troopers have been disappearing thanks to a sale between Queb and these headhunters.”

Cody must have been on the ship with Obi-Wan because Lane could hear him in the background. “Trandoshans!? Sir, that means they’re being hunted- used for sport by those animals! We’ll never see them again.”

“And we cannot allow that to happen”, Obi-wan agreed. “Allies or not, Regent Queb has crossed a terrible line here.”

“I’ll see what else I can find out.” Lane clicked the comm off before anyone could say anything.

Queb was leading the Trandoshan inside the palace. Lane continued to follow. The two were discussing a price for the clones. It was clear that the clones were in high demand. Trandoshans prided themselves on a good hunt. It was how many of them reached adulthood. They wanted the best specimens they could get their hands on. In a war where clones are bred for battle, they were ideal targets for this dangerous game.

Lane recorded as much of the conversation as he could. The agreement was interrupted by a guard. The guard ran in with a report that came from the secret compound Padme had reported. It seemed that the clones that were being kept there had been broken out.

“You promised me clones!” The Trandoshan growled angrily as he got into Queb’s face.

“The-the reports may be misleading! They… they might not have all esca-It was them! That Senator and that Pilot, they are the ones responsible for all of this!”

“Ah, kriff”, Lane cursed under his breath.

The Pilot quickly ran from his hiding spot. The two Senators were hurrying down the stairs. Lane ran up to meet them. They had to leave the palace as soon as possible. It would do no good if the Senators were taken as POWs next.

“Vishar, hurry! We’ve to get back to my ship before-”  
Padme was cut off by the Trandoshan who jumped off the balcony. “What have you done with my prey? I want those clones!”

Lane spun around, blaster ready. “I don’t think so!”

The Senators hurried into the ship once the door had lowered. The Trandoshan growled, sharp teeth visible. Lane took a shot. The Trandoshan dodged it. More shots were taken and Lane managed a lucky hit. The Trandoshan yelled in pain as he held his shoulder. As he fell down, something pushed him back towards the palace. Lane turned to see Obi-Wan standing behind him.

“I think he should understand our answer.”

“One would hope. Let’s get out of here.”

“Agreed.”

Obi-Wan allowed Lane to board the ship first. It did not take long for Lane to get the ship up and running. Another ship of troopers was set to arrive to arrest Queb for his crimes against the republic. The Senators went back to the Star Destroyer. The captured troopers were returned safely but covered in mud.

Lane raised an eyebrow at Waxer and Boil. “Taking a new meaning to fighting dirty boys?”

Waxer playfully shoved the Pilot. “Like you would know what it’s like.”

“Hey, I tailed the Regent to get the info and had to fight off that Trandoshan.”

Boil furrowed his brows and smoothed down his mustache. “You did what?”

“I fought the Trandoshan?”

“You could’ve been hurt!”

Lane waved them off. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. I’ve had worse.”

Waxer wiped some mud off his bald head. “Well, I’m sending my report to the 501st.”

“What? Why-?”

“Orders, sir.”

Lane’s jaw dropped before he turned to Cody. “Commander I swear if Anakin told you to keep tabs on me-!”  
Cody held both of his hands up. “It wasn’t the General. Just a favor for a _vode_.”

“What- oh. Oh, no. Captain Rex is going to get an earful from me.”

Boil grinned. “You can explain to him and the 501st why you decided to throw yourself into danger.”

“I was doing my job!”

The clones all laughed. Even Padme giggled which she tried to hide. Lane only groaned and rubbed his head. The Pilot considered that maybe getting super close to the 501st troopers had backfired.


	5. Wounds of Hissen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dangers of a mission create the realization of just how much is at risk while participating in the war.

Lane ran down the hallways of the Negotiator. Squads from the 7th Sky Corps, the 104th Battalion, the Wolfpack, and the 501st Legion had just returned from the siege on Hisseen. Lane was in charge of transporting the 501st back to the Resolute. While waiting, Lane had been on the bridge, listening to the battle on the war table. The troops had been split up and Rex was severely outnumbered. 

“Commander Skywalker, come in. Do you copy, sir? We- we need backup. Does anyone read me? Anyon-”

The transmission cut out. Lane’s eyes went wide. The other troopers in the room had gone severely quiet.

“What happened!?”

“The transmission was lost-”

Lane spun to face the trooper who spoke. “Meaning what?”

“Meaning that either help arrived or…”

The Pilot grit his teeth. “He’s not dead. They still have time.”

Everyone waited with bated breath. It took everything in Lane to remain calm. He wanted nothing more than to take some troops down to the planet's surface but Lane had no clearance to do so. Going in alone would not help matters either. Patience. There were three Jedi down there that cared deeply for every single man.

The holotable crackled as a new transmission came through. “Mission success, returning to the Negotiator.”

A few of the troopers cheered. Lane remained silent. It was good news but it was vague news. There was nothing about the casualties. No word if the hostages had been rescued. No word if Dooku had killed someone or gotten away. 

That is why Lane was running now. The Pilot was going to see for himself when the ships returned to the hanger. Luckily, it did not take long for those ships to return. The Negotiator was stationed very close to the planet. 

The hanger thrummed with the loud engines of the dropships. Hangar troops hurried to the ships to assess the damage. Medics also began to move in. Those with the worst injuries were hauled off on stretchers. There was different colored armor everywhere. Lane searched for the 501st blue.

Rex stepped off the ship with Cody, helmet tucked under his arm. The captain was exhausted but managed to walk out of the battle with a few minor scrapes. They had lost a few men on the field but the losses were luckily very low. Just a few shinies. 

“Rex!”

The blond turned sharply, spotting the white hair of the Pilot who was running across the hangar bay. Cody smirked and took Rex’s helmet. Rex barely made it a few steps before Lane reached him. The hug sent Rex stumbling a few steps but remained on his feet.

Lane leaned back and smacked Rex’s chest. “You scared me! Don’t do that! Kriff, Rex.”

Rex furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “What are you-”

“I heard your transmission for help- it got cut off and I thought the worst-”

“I’m alright- we’re all alright. The Generals made it back in the nick of time.”

Lane took a deep breath to calm himself. His hand ached from smacking the tough armor and Lane gingerly rubbed it. Rex watched him with a soft smile. It was heartwarming to have someone waiting for his return.

Cody chuckled. “You worry too much.”

“I worry a healthy amount, thank you very little.” Lane stuck his tongue out. 

“Whatever you say ad’ika.”

“Better not be insulting me.” Lane stepped out of Rex’s personal bubble. “So what is the damage then?”

“Heater got hit but I think he’ll pull through. Only lost a small handful- mostly shinies.” Cody passed Rex his helmet back. “And all the hostages came back with hardly a scratch.”

“Good- very good, successful mission then.”

“Yea. We are wanted back on Coruscant as soon as possible.”

Lane glanced at Rex. “Guess I better prep the ship.”

Rex nodded as Lane moved off into the crowd. The pilot stopped by each ship to check on the rest of the troopers. Lane was teased by many of them but it put a smile on his face. Rex watched the interactions. Cody chuckled, interrupting his thoughts.

“That’s one hell of a Pilot.”

“Yea, he is.”

Cody patted Rex’s shoulder. “He’s good for you, keep him around.”

“Like I have any control over that?”

“To an extent, you do.”

Cody walked away from the Captain to tend to his own troops. Rex sighed. The Captain began doing the same. The troopers of the 501st were easy to spot since they were already heading to their transport. Lane could be seen climbing into the ship to get it running. Anakin was nearby, making sure all of his men were accounted for. 

Rex walked up to his General. “Sir?”

“Yes, Rex?”

“Are we heading back to Coruscant as well?”

Anakin nodded, crossing his arms. “Seems that Master Yoda needs all of us. Didn’t say why.”

“Understood, General.”

“Good work out there, Rex. You held up well.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Anakin Skywalker, will you get in here and answer this comm before I break it”, Lane yelled from inside the cockpit.

Both men chuckled and headed inside the ship. Anakin went straight to the front. Heater was still strapped onto a stretcher being treated by one of the medics in the back of the ship. Some of the troopers were etching a tally mark somewhere on their armor. Troopers kept score of different things. Droids, battles, lost brothers, new planets, ect. Rex personally kept track of every battle or special mission he was sent on because he came back alive. Every new day was a blessing in the Captain’s eyes. 

“Alright everyone, we’re moving out,” Lane yelled back to the troopers as the engines hummed to life.   
The Resolute was not located around the planet but was still in the same system. They had the ships spread out in case of an attack. It was better than creating a larger target. It did not take very long to get to the other Star Destroying. Once they were docked, the fleet ship entered hyperspace towards Coruscant.

The men headed off to their barracks or the medbay. They would have some time to relax before any new missions would take place. Rex was the last trooper to step off the ship. The Captain waited patiently. Lane emerged a few minutes later.

Magenta eyes blinked in surprise. “Rex…?”

“I’m sorry I worried you.”

“I know. I’m sorry for getting upset...I was just-”

“Worried”, Rex switched his helmet to rest under his left arm. “I know.” 

“It’s kinda dumb, considering our lines of work. You’re a soldier. I’m a protection duty pilot. We’re constantly tossed around in dangerous situations.”

Rex and Lane walked side by side towards the mess hall. “I guess this makes us even though.”

“How so?”

Rex smirked. “I’ll forget that Trandoshan and you’ll forget my cut off transmission.”

“Oh is that how we’re playing this?”

“If it’s alright by you.”

Lane sighed dramatically. “I suppose. We’re just gonna worry about each other till the day we die.”

“At least we die knowing that someone cared about us.”

The comment had Lane stop short. Rex paused, looking back at the pilot. Lane was at a loss for words. The Captain frowned. Maybe what he said was out of line-

Lane hugged Rex around the neck tightly. 

Rex hesitantly rested his free hand on Lane’s back. “Lane?”

“I’ll always care about you. Never doubt that.”

The Captain pulled the Pilot into the embrace tighter. “I won’t.”

Lane yanked the taller male into an empty room nearby before locking the door. Rex raised his eyebrows in surprise. As he opened his mouth to ask why they were in the room, Lane pulled Rex into a deep kiss. Rex tensed in surprise. The clone had never kissed anyone before. Romance was not necessarily encouraged in the Army but it was not uncommon for the boys to let loose when they were on leave with a random stranger. 

But this was not a random stranger.

Rex’s helmet hit the floor with a thud as he wrapped his arms around Lane, deepening the kiss. The Pilot’s skin darkened with a flush. The kiss was a heat of the moment decision but Rex had not rejected him. Said blond broke the kiss first, resting his forehead against his partners'.

“That was…”

“Unexpected”, Lane finished. “I...I know, it just...felt right.”

“We could get in a lot of trouble if anyone finds out.”

“You’re well worth that risk. But I understand if-”

Rex shook his head, stealing a quick kiss to silence the Pilot. Actions spoke louder than words. Both men wanted this. Lane tightened his arms tightly around the Captain’s neck. The stiff armor felt cold against exposed skin. 

“Might I make a request, Captain”, Lane breathed quietly before nipping Rex’s bottom lip.

Rex smirked. “Anything.”

“I do believe I have extra space in my bunk that needs tending to later if you have the time.”

“I believe I can help you with that, sir.”

“Good”, Lane pulled Rex into yet another impatient kiss. 

A chuckle was released from the blond as he pulled away. “For now, cyar’ika, we should get some food. It’s been a long day.”

“What does that mean…?”

Rex furrowed his eyebrow. “What?”

“You called me cyar’ika. I don’t recognize the term but it sounds Mando’a?”

“Yea- it is. It means ‘beloved’ or ‘sweetheart’.”

The flush returned on the PIlot’s face. “Oh…I...I like it.”

“Good.”

~

It was late in the rotation when Rex finally made his way to Lane’s quarters. The Pilot was given a private room by General Skywalker. Lane had protested at first, but now it had come in handy. There was zero privacy in the barracks. With groups of six or more men in a single room, everything was out in the open. 

Rex waited patiently until his brothers had fallen asleep before leaving. The troopers who were on their usual routine checks on the ship said nothing to the Captain. It was not uncommon when Rex could not sleep and took a walk instead. The struggles of surviving war did that to a person.

After double-checking the hall, Rex used the spare keycard that Lane had given him The door opened with a quiet hiss. Rex stepped inside, the sound of his boots echoing on the metal floor.

Lane looked up from his seated position on the bed. The Pilot had changed out of his usual flight suit. In place were loose slacks and a tank top. Rex found himself analyzing the nearly exposed skin, noting the trail of light freckles.

“I was beginning to think I was going to have to suffer a cold bunk tonight”, Lane teased.

“My apologizes”, Rex set his helmet on the side table. “I had to wait for the others to sleep.”

“I understand. Come here.”

Lane looped his hand into Rex’s utility belt once the Captain was close enough. Rex watched quietly. Gentle hands began to remove the cold armor. It was not easy to take off, truly designed to stay on during the struggles of combat. The white and blue had scuff marks from the carbon scoring blasters left behind, showing how close several shots got to hit their intended target. Each clasp was caked in dirt from the planet. Armor was removed piece by piece with a soft thud until Rex was only in his blacks and boots. 

Rex removed his boots on his own before sitting on the bunk. Lane nuzzled his face into the blond’s neck. The two enjoyed the continued silence. Rex ran his fingers along Lane’s spine soothingly.

“Did you ever think you would find a partner”, Lane asked quietly.

“No- the Kaminoans made it clear that our only purpose was war...but I’m glad they were wrong.”

“I am too. You’re actually a big softie”, Lane teased.

“Only for you”, Rex smirked. “Now get some sleep. We’ve got a new mission to be briefed on in the morning. At least I do.”

The Pilot wrinkled his nose in disgust as he moved to lay on his back. “I hate getting up early. I don’t envy you.”

“Why do you think I drink caf?”

Lane laughed in response, earning a smile from the blond trooper laying across from him in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diving headfirst into the relationship- makes me excited for the future chapters. Hope you all enjoy it!


	6. Hidden Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex, Lane, and Cody must hunt down an intel leak among their own men as the battle of Christophsis evolves.

_ “Hawk, Lane, we need evac at the South Tower.” _

_ “Roger that, sir” _ , Hawk replied.

“We’re on it.” Lane followed the gunship ahead of him, flying the second gunship.

Christophsis was being invaded by Separatist forces that the Jedi were confident they could defeat quickly. The fact that they had called for evac so quickly implied that it had not gone to plan. The Jedi wanted to regroup and think of a better strategy without losing too many men.

The gunships soared into the city. The roof of the south tower was alive with activity. There were blaster bolts being fired from both sides. It appeared that the droids had outrun them. Hawk took the lead on one side of the building. Lane pulled up behind him. The blast doors on the sides of the gunships opened to let the troopers and Jedi inside. As soon as the last man was on board, the doors shut and the gunships took off. 

They returned to their base on the planet. The injured men were whisked off to the med bay. Lane hopped out of the pilot’s seat. Rex was speaking to one of the men, a droid head under his arm. Curiosity peak, Lane approached the Captain.

“Grabbed a souvenir, Rex?”

“We’re hoping that his tactical droid can give us some answers.”

Lane walked alongside Rex as they headed inside. “Answers?”

“Somehow, the clankers knew our plan. They predicted every move.”

“That’s bizarre.”

“Very.”

“Well, let me know how it goes or if you need help. I need to fix up a ship.”

Rex saluted to the Pilot before they parted ways. 

~

Lane blew over his hot caf before taking a sip. It was nasty but the caffeine did the trick. The Pilot was planning on rehauling one of the gunships. It needed fresh wires in the communication transmitter. In the meantime, Lane sipped on his caf and looked at the rest of the mess hall. Dozens of troopers were having their evening meal. 

The door to the mess hall opened. Cody and Rex walked in. They both looked pissed off. Lane raised an eyebrow as Rex made eye contact with him. The Captain shook his head once. Lane frowned.

“We’ve got a big problem”, Cody stated.

“Yeah. The only people in here are brothers. Minus Lane.”

“Why minus Lane”, Lane asked as he walked up to the two clones.

Rex opened his mouth but Cody grabbed his arm. “You heard the Generals.”

“Trust me, Cody.” Rex glanced at Lane, “Come with us for a minute.”

“Ooookay.” Lane took his caf with him as he followed the two troopers into the hallway.

Cody narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure we can trust him?”

“You saw it yourself,  _ vode _ , it was one of us. Besides, I trust him.”

“Wanna tell me what the hell is going on fellas?” Lane raised an eyebrow.

Rex sighed. “It’s about the ambush.”

“Oh- you figured out how they found out our plans?”

“Someone has been leaking information”, Cody corrected. “One of us is a spy.”

“Seriously? Who?”

“Dunno. We lost track of him when we chased him in the halls.”

Rex opened the door to the war room. “One of us… Great. But which one?”

“We’ll have to wait for his next move”, Cody decided. “Keep this to the three of us.”

“Better contact the Jedi.”

“I’m on it.”

Rex crossed his arms as Lane rubbed his head. “If someone was leaking information- there would have to be traces of it. They would have to transmit it from the base, right?”

Cody sighed from the comms panel before Rex could respond. “We can’t reach General Kenobi. Whoever it is has blocked our communications. We’re gonna have to find this guy ourselves.”

“I can help with that”, Lane smirked. “R2- plugin and search the communication logs. Anything outgoing and odd. This guy had to get his messages out somehow.”

The astromech beeped as it rolled over to the panel. Lane walked over to stand by the troopers while R2 plugged in.

“What do you think”, Cody asked the Pilot. “He just sat down and wrote a note?”

Rex hummed. “You have to start somewhere.”

R2 beeped as he kept searching. The three had no choice but to wait. Lane rocked on his heels, humming quietly. Cody took up pacing after a while. Rex seemed to be the only one who could keep still. 

The next time R2 beeped, Rex picked up the datapad that R2 displayed the info on. “R2’s found something.”

Cody walked back over to the holotable. “What is it? Is it the traitor?”

“I’m not sure”, Rex admitted. “Maybe.”

“Well, what is he looking for?” 

“Wavelength interference, weak frequencies, spotty, irregular. See how it shows up every few days, then disappears?”

Lane snapped his fingers. “That means it is well encrypted or scrambled. They tried to hide the messages within the normal messages. Pretty easy to miss unless you’re looking for it.”

R2 beeped in response.

Cody furrowed his brow. “What?”

“It’s the pattern”, Rex realized. “The band’s only coming off one terminal in the whole base. Check it out.”

Cody took the datapad from the blond. “Hmm. Slick’s barracks.”

“That narrows it down to just one squadron then”, Lane concluded. 

“Yeah. Only Slick’s men would have access to that terminal.”

“Yea”, Rex agreed. “Slick’s not gonna like that.”

“No, he’s not. But if one of his men is giving away our intel, we have to find him and sort this out.”

Lane pursed his lips. It boggled Lane’s mind as to why one of the clones would betray the Republic. However, Lane stopped. It wasn’t that the clones weren’t allowed to think for themselves, but they were raised in a biased manner. They were being forced into the war. Maybe one clone got sick of it. Lane shook his head to get rid of the thought.

~

“No. No way. My guys are the best”, Slick insisted. “No way they’re capable of something like this.”

“Something like what?”

Lane stepped to the side of the doorway in the barracks as the squad entered. Rex and Cody had just addressed the problem with Slick. The squad was not yet informed. Lane continued to watch patiently. Whoever it was, would likely not want to stick around for very long. Lane planned to keep the doorway blocked off. 

“You called them here”, Slick asked in surprise.

Rex nodded. “Of course, we did. We’re getting to the bottom of this. Now.”

Lane stepped forward once the last clone entered, sealing the door behind him.

“Look, let me have a few minutes with them first. It’s gonna hit ‘em hard. They trust each other, and if one of our own betrayed us-”

Cody stepped forward as he interrupted Slick. “I don’t think that’s necessary. Your men are tough, right? Take a seat, gentlemen.”

The clones that were standing at attention in a single line did as they were told. They each grabbed a seat on a crate or their bunks. Cody looked over them all briefly.

“We have a turncoat in our midst, and we think it’s one of you.”

The troopers glanced at each other. Surprise and distrust oozed from them all. It was unheard of to have a traitorous clone. Rex and Cody began to approach each soldier one by one for questioning.

“I-I don’t know. I was doing the things I always do after a mission”, one trooper replied.

“Things like what”, Rex asked.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’m just a little nervous. You’re my CO.”

“The way I figure it, you tell the truth, you got nothing to be nervous about.”

A clone, Gus, who was sitting behind the Commander and Captain spoke up. “Jester is telling the truth. He cleans his weapon after every mission. First thing, every time. He’s kind of obsessed that way.”

Cody looked back to Jester. “Is that right? You were cleaning your weapon?”

Jester nodded. “Yes, sir.” 

“Go on the computer while you were in here?”

“No, sir. I didn’t even power it up. You can check.”

Rex and Cody exchanged a look. Rex glanced back at Lane who nodded. The Pilot headed to the terminal to check the log.

“Show me your weapon”, ordered Cody.

Jester handed it over with no hesitation. Cody could easily see that it was sparkling clean. Rex glanced at Lane who returned to his position at the door. Lane nodded to confirm that Jester was speaking the truth. When a trooper used a computer, they logged in with their birth number. There was only one on the computer but Lane waited.

“Yep, freshly scrubbed.” Cody handed the gun back to Jester.

“The rag’s over there in the corner.”

“Good man.” Cody turned around to the next soldier, “You. You were cleaning your weapon too?”

“No, I was hungry. I went back to the mess.”

Rex moved his arms behind his back. “Right away?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Anyone with ya?”

The clone pointed to the trooper sitting right beside him. “Sketch, sir.”

Sketch nodded. “We got to the mess at the same time, got our grub, and sat together.”

“Anyone else in the mess able to confirm what you two are saying?”

“Lots of guys there. Ask any of them.”

Lane cleared his throat. “I saw them today. They fought over the last pack of chips.”

Rex nodded slowly, seeing the hard clear that Lane was giving the two. Slick walked up behind Commander Cody who was following Captain Rex. The squad leader seemed very anxious. Lane narrowed his eyes.

“Captain, give me just a moment with them”, Slick requested. 

The trooper with a bandaged arm sat up straight. “No, it’s okay, Sarge. I got nothing to hide. I was in the infirmary. Got banged up pretty good by one of those clankers. A med droid was fixing me up.”

Cody grabbed his offered arm to check the bandaging.

“Doc’s got all the records there if you want to check.”

The troopers in charge moved on to the next soldier who was sitting on the bunk in a more relaxed position. 

Rex kept his tone neutral. “So, Chopper, old boy, what’s your alibi?”

“I was in the mess hall.”

Sketch stood up abruptly. “No, you weren’t. I mean, you…”

Cody looked at the trooper. “If you know something, kid, you should speak up.”

“Chopper came in a lot later, after everyone else.”

Chopper looked a bit panicked by the statement before dropping his gaze. The rest of his squad was staring at him suspiciously. 

Rex looked down at the trooper. “Where were you before you went to the mess, Chopper?”

“Nowhere.” Chopper finally looked up at the Captain, “Walking around.”

“Son, you know we’ll need a better answer than that”, Cody informed him. 

Chopper let out a harsh sigh. “I was hiding at the south exit. I didn’t want anyone to see me string these together.”

Chopper pulled out a ring. The large ring had several different colored battle droid fingers. It was one of his traditions. Every clone had a different way of remembering each battle. Some kept souvenirs, others kept tally marks. 

“Battle droid fingers”, Rex observed. 

Chopper sighed again. “I just- I just wanted something back. I guess I felt like, like they owed me.”

“I always knew there was something deficient about you”, the wounded clone stated.

Chopper turned away from everyone as Slick approached his man. “This isn’t good, Chopper. Lying about where you were, taking forbidden items from a battlefield. I know I put up with the attitude ‘cause you have skill. But if you could break these rules, your whole character’s on question here.”

“Wait, no-” Chopper stood abruptly “-Hang on. I’m no spy!”

“Chopper, we're all brothers. But how can we trust anything you say now?”

“No, sir, I’m telling you, I did not-”

“It’s okay”, Slick interrupted him. “We’ll get you a proper investigation. You don’t have to say anything till the Jedi come back and talk to you.”

“When they come back”, Lane chuckled as every clone glanced back at him. “Now, how did you find out they were gone in the first place, I wonder?”

Chopper shrugged off Slick’s hand as he went on a tangent. “Maybe you should talk then, sir. Tell them where you went. I was at the south exit, remember? I saw you go in, sir. I saw you.”

“Chopper, I have been patient-”

“Everyone else turned right, towards the barracks and the mess. You turned left, toward the command center. Where were you going, sir?”

Slick looked over to Rex and Cody. “Obviously, the kid feels cornered.” 

Cody narrows his eyes. “Lane had a point, Sergeant, what did you mean, ‘till the Jedi come back’? How did you know the Jedi were gone?”

Slick scowled. “I really wish that Pilot hadn’t pointed that out, sir.”

Slick socked Cody in the face. Rex caught his Commander before he hit the ground. The Sergeant elbowed Chopper out of his way and dove over the bed. Slick rolled to the door, right where Lane was. Lane ducked to avoid a punch and tackled the clone around the middle. Slick stumbled but quickly recovered. Lane released Slick when he slammed his elbow down between the Pilot’s shoulders. The clone quickly made it out the door.

“Kriff!”

Cody started to run after him. “Slick’s the traitor?!”

Rex quickly followed. The door shut. The squad was in shock that their Sarge, their leader, was a turncoat. Sketch snapped out of it when Lane groaned. The trooper hurried over to help the Pilot to his feet.

“Are you alright, sir?”

Lane cracked his neck. “Ugh, yeah, I’ll just feel that one in the morning.”

“I can’t believe it…” Jester clenched his fists. “How did we not notice!? Our own Sarge…”

“Don’t take it out on yourselves. Slick managed to fool everyone. The intel he was sending was skillfully hidden. None of you could have known.”

The clones nodded quietly. 


	7. Quiet Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slick's betrayal runs deep and causes a lot of reflection prior to the approach of thousands of droids.

The weapons depot went up in a series of explosions. The impact shook the entire base. Wave after wave of shocks rippled through the ground. The fire illuminated the depot in the dark night of the planet. The fuel from some of the damaged ships only added to that fire. Troops were hurrying to put out the blazes. 

Slick did not want to escape quite yet. The traitor was determined to make a dent in the Republic forces. Many of the gunships on the same landing platform of the depot had also gone up in brief explosions. The fleet would have to land on the ship in order to pick up all the troops once the battle was completed. The damage had cut them off.

Slick was spotted heading into the command center. Rex and Cody hurried to find him. Lane went to the other landing platform to make sure the remaining ships were left untouched. Luckily, none of them had been blown up, Lane’s fighter was still in running condition. Despite the lack of mechanical damage, all of the communication panels were trashed. There was no way to send a message to the fleet orbiting the ship.

Lane cursed colorfully as he searched for material to repair any of the communication panels. The materials were missing. Slick had thought far enough ahead to prevent any immediate repairs. The Pilot kicked the empty crate in anger before pacing. Lane wracked his brain for answers. Cutting off communication would put the troops at a further disadvantage. But for what? And why?

Lane ran a hand through his white hair before hurrying back inside the base. Slick would be the only person to hold answers. Or at least, answers he thought he had. If there was more at play then Slick was only a single piece of the puzzle. The base was on high alert. No one had answers to the betrayal but the pain was clear on every trooper’s face who knew.

Lane rounded the corner near the communications center of the base where there was an audible commotion. Rex was holding Slick in handcuffs as Cody glared at the trooper. Anakin and Obi-Wan had finally returned and were facing the group. Slick was going on a rant.

“-would ask that. It’s the Jedi who keep my brothers enslaved. We do your bidding. We serve at your whim. I just wanted something more.”

“And all you had to do to get it was put the rest of us all at risk”, Rex stated. 

“I...I love my brothers. You’re too blind to see it, but I was striking a blow for all clones.”

“A blow to make them meet an early death, sure”, Lane stated as he stepped around Anakin. “None of you are truly enslaved. Yes- this entire war is messed up, it’s wrong. We ALL want more for every single one of you. Every single man deserves a better chance at something more in life than war. These are the cards we are dealt! You’ve endangered all of your brothers. Any soldier that dies on this planet- their blood is on your hands.”

Anakin set a hand on Lane’s shoulder to calm him down. The Pilot was thrumming with anger. Lane looked away from Slick. The clone trooper looked beyond confused. His actions both agreed and disagreed with his thought process. While he believed he was doing what was best for his brothers, he just signed their death warrants. 

“You betrayed every one of us”, Rex added.

“Take him to lockup”, Cody ordered two troopers who just showed up. Rex handed the traitor over. Obi-Wan and Anakin stepped closer to their men.

“Were you able to salvage anything from the weapons depot”, Obi-Wan asked.

“Slick pretty much scorched the whole thing.” Rex narrowed his eyes, “That seemed to be what he was going for all along.”

“We managed to save the heavy cannons, though”, added Cody. 

Obi-Wan nodded. “Well, that’s good. ‘Cause there are about a thousand battle droids on their way here.”

“The fight goes on, gentlemen”, Anakin stated. 

Before the Jedi got too far down the hallway, Lane grabbed Anakin’s sleeve. “Anakin.”

“What is it?” Anakin raised an eyebrow as he looked over his friend. The flight suit was covered in soot from the ash in the explosions. A dark smear was visible over his left cheek. The white-haired man looked extremely troubled which troubled Anakin. Both Jedi stopped to listen to their Pilot.

“After the explosion happened- I checked on the ships on the other platform. Our comms are jammed here and destroyed in the ships- nothing can get through. I know how much the extra supplies can help so I’m going up to retrieve them myself. I should be back by morning.”

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. “That is very helpful- thank you, Lane. We need all the help we can get with the new wave of droids approaching our position.”

“I’ll leave right away.”

Anakin smirked. “May the Force be with you.”

The Jedi turned away and walked down the hall. Rex stepped up behind the Pilot. Lane was still upset by what Slick had stated. The Pilot turned right into Rex’s chest since he wasn’t paying attention. Rex gently rested his hand on the man’s shoulders. A concerned look was on his face.

“You’re leaving?”

“For now- you guys can’t fight with heavy cannons alone and we can’t call for backup down here.”

Rex nodded. “I’ll walk you to your ship.”

Lane sighed and began to walk. The two said nothing for a long time. Both were deep in thought. The trouble with a traitor was how big of a ripple effect it had. It would affect the war, the men, and the mentality.

“What you said back there- about us clones, did you mean it?”

Lane’s shoulders tensed. “I see you all as the men you are. I don’t care if you have similar faces. You’re all different. You’re all valuable.”

Rex pulled Lane to a stop. “And me..?”

Lane looked up at the Captain, blushing. “You’re the most valuable out of any of them to me.”

Rex smirked subtly. “Good to know.”

Lane gave Rex a gentle kiss. The Captain eased into it, cupping his face. When the kiss ended, their foreheads bumped together. A keldabe kiss. A more discreet form of affection that came from the Mandalorian culture resulted from the helmet they always wore.

The Pilot turned away reluctantly and started walking again. “I hope one day we’ll all be free of this war. But to do that, we need to win it.”

“Whatever it takes.”

“What would be the most useful supplies I can bring back that will fit in my ship? I don’t know if any ships can be spared from the fleet to bring back much. I have no idea.”

“Heavy ammunition. Grenades. Heavy cannon shells. Rocket launchers. I doubt you’ll be able to bring back any big units if things are bad out there.”

Lane mumbled the list. “Ok- ok, I can do that. I’ll bring back some more medical supplies too.”

Rex nodded as they walked out onto the landing platform. Lane stopped and turned back to Rex. There were hesitation and anxiety clear on his face. Rex cupped one side of Lane’s face with his gloved hand.

“You’re shaking.”

“I’m angry...Slick did not know what he was saying.”

“About being enslaved?”

Lane looked up at Rex’s amber eyes. “Yea. As a liberated slave, I think I get some say.”

“You never told me much about all that- not that you need to.”

Lane clenched his jaw. “...I was a slave until I was 12 years old- longer than most of the troopers have been alive. I never knew my real parents. I was tossed between different Masters because of my looks and attitude. I was what they called a dangerous flower.  **_Azalus Pukaneekee._ ** ”

Rex frowned deeply as Lane scoffed. The Pilot leaned back against his ship. Rex stood close to continue listening. He didn’t want to interrupt.

“The Jedi saved me from being a slave. Through a bet in a podrace. Anakin was saved as well- actually, he’s the reason we were both freed. That little nine-year-old kid won the race. The first human to do so.”

“That’s...very fitting for the General.”

“Yea, it is.” Lane’s smile was bittersweet. “I look around me whenever I’m on the battlefield and my heart hurts. Slim was right- in some ways… you’re forced to fight a war that you don’t understand. That's why you exist- for violence and death. It’s horrible. You deserve better than this. That’s-... that is why I do what I do. I help you all. No one ever helped me during the hardest times in my life. None of you deserve to go through this alone.”

Rex was stunned. “Lane…”

“Sorry- I’m rambling, I should go-”

“Wait, hold on.” Rex rubbed his hands over Lane’s arms before gripping his elbows. “I understand...We all value your time here- you treat us like real men. We all appreciate it. I appreciate it. Without you around, this war would be much darker to endure.”

Lane blushed. “Rex…”

“Just know- that we fight not just because we were taught to, we all want to. We want to win this war for the Republic and for all our brothers. We’ve dreamed of what happens after. All we can hope for is the best. But right now we are needed for a job and we are going to do it.”

“I know…”

Rex sighed, giving Lane’s arm a gentle squeeze and another keldabe kiss. “Stay safe out there. If there are thousands of droids waiting for us down here, that blockade is going to be dangerous.”

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Lane smiled softly. “I’ll try to comm you when I get to the  _ Resolute _ . Hopefully, they don’t stay jammed.”

The blond nodded. “Alright.”

Lane turned to his ship. Rex gave him a hand to climb into the cockpit. While not at all necessary, the gesture was sweet. Rex squeezed Lane’s hand firmly. Lane returned the squeeze. Reluctantly, they let go of each other. The ship’s engines hummed as they turned on. The top of the cockpit lowered and locked into place with a hiss. Rex stepped back for the takeoff. The ship hovered for a moment before rocketing into the dark sky.

The blockade was horrible. Lane felt his heart drop into his stomach as the battle came into view. Blaster fire illuminated the dark space filled with ships. The Republic fleet was outnumbered. Lane dodged heavy fire and small Separatist ships as he approached the fleet. The Pilot had no choice but to join in the fight. It would be too difficult to dock with how lively the battle was.

The comm came to life as the Admiral finally got through.  _ “Lane, what are you doing up here?” _

“Things have gotten bad down on Christophsis. They need more supplies- the weapons depot was destroyed and the comms are jammed.”

_ “Things are not going so well up here either, I’m afraid. We do not have much to spare.” _

“I’ll take whatever I can get, Admiral.”

_ “Once we get rid of the fighter squadrons you’ll have a chance to come on board.” _

“Understood, sir, you can count on me.”

The transmission ended. Lane let out a breath and jumped into the fray. It looked like it was going to be another long night. 


	8. Battle of Christophsis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lane returns to the planet of Christophsis with much-needed supplies and a young Padawan learner.

Lane sighed nervously as he waited for a transmission to go through. The Pilot was aboard the  _ Resolute _ . It had been a long night of sending supplies down to the planet. Lane was planning on bringing more supplies himself. Before he could leave, the Admiral informed him that the Jedi council wanted to speak with him. 

The door slid open. Lane hesitated before walking inside. Master Mace Windu and Master Yoda were on the hologram. Standing near the table and the Admiral, stood a young girl. The girl turned and Lane recognized that she was a Togruta.

Lane stepped up beside the short girl and waited for someone to speak.

_ “Lane Dunlyst, we have heard a lot about you.”  _ Mace Windu narrowed his eyes.

“All good things, I hope.”

The tiny green Master known as Yoda hummed.  _ “Yes, brave, you are. Helped the Jedi in this war, you have.” _

“Just doing my job.”

_ “A task, for you, we have.” _

“Wait- I’m not in trouble?” Lane looked genuinely surprised.

Mace Windu raised an eyebrow. _ “Should you be?” _

“No, sir. I was trying to figure out what the Jedi Council would want with me.”

Yoda tapped his walking stick on the floor.  _ “Deliver this Padawan learner to Anakin Skywalker, you must.” _

Lane looked at the girl again. A Padawan. That made sense. The young girl tilted her head. There were beautiful white markings on her orange skin. A simple beaded headdress adorned her head tails, serving as her Padawan braid. A lightsaber rested on her hip.

Lane looked back to Yoda. “In the middle of the battle?”

_ “Yes. Padawan Ashoka, be with her new Master, she must. Chosen you, we have, to deliver the Padawan safely. Obi-Wan has faith in your abilities.” _

“Well, I’m flattered. It would be my honor to take her to Anakin.”

_ “The battle at Christophsis is very active, last we heard.” _ Mace Windu questioned,  _ “Will you be able to navigate it safely?” _

Lane grinned. “It’s not my first battlefield, Master Jedi. I can take on any Separatists blockade you throw at me. Besides, I was at Christophsis when the battle there first started.”

The Jedi on the council shared a few looks. Lane waited patiently. Finally, Mace Windu nodded in approval. Yoda looked right at Lane

_ “On your way, you must be. Time, there is not.” _

Lane nodded. “Let’s go, Ahsoka.” 

“Yes, Mr. Dunlyst.”

Lane stopped with a grimace. “Please call me ANYTHING but that. Lane is fine.”

Ahsoka giggled softly as they walked to the hanger. “My apology.”

~

The battle on Christophsis was far from over. The second wave of droids was threatening to change who had control over the planet. Lane could see the fire from his ship as he flew overhead. There was not a window of opportunity to land.

Ahsoka peaked out the window. “Wow, there really is a war going on down there.”

“Hold tight, this ride is about to get bumpy.”

There were giant droids near the backline of the droids. Lane swung the ship down low. There were two of the droids left. One suddenly dropped thanks to a Jedi. Lane assumed it might have been Anakin. The ship flew down low and fired at the remaining droid that Anakin had not destroyed. The top exploded before toppling over, taking out smaller battle droids in its path.

Lane grinned at his successful hit. The ship quickly pulled up to avoid any cannon fire. The clones were busy firing at the droid tanks. Lane did not want to accidentally fly into the path of it. The Pilot veered the ship around, circling the battle.

“Lane- the droids are retreating”, Ahsoka pointed out.

“That’s odd.”

Lane began to land the ship on the Republic side of the lines. The troopers moved out of the way to give it space. Anakin and Obi-wan made their way towards the ship.

“Our cruiser must be back”, Obi-wan stated.

“Which means we’ll be able to get our reinforcements”, Anakin agreed.

“Then it looks like our problems are solved. Fresh troops, new supplies, and perhaps they brought my new Padawan with them.”

“You really think it’s a good idea to bring a Padawan learner into all this?”

“I spoke to Master Yoda about it. You should put in a request for one. You’d make a good teacher.”

Anakin let out a dry laugh. “No thanks.”

“Anakin, teaching is a privilege. And it’s part of a Jedi’s responsibility to help train the next generation.”

“Padawan would just slow me down.”

The door to the ship opened. Ahsoka and Lane stepped down the platform. Both Jedi Masters looked confused. Lane raised an eyebrow.

“A youngling?”

“Lane.” Anakin looked down at the girl at the Pilot’s side. “And who are you supposed to be?”

“I’m Ahsoka.” The Padawan looked between the two Jedi. “Master Yoda sent me. I was told to tell both of you that you must get back to the Jedi Temple immediately. There’s an emergency.”

“Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed”, Anakin motioned to the battle around them, “but we’re in a bit of an emergency right here.”

Lane snorted. “I noticed. Took out that droid for you.”

“Yes, thank you.” Obi-Wan continued, “Our communications have been a bit unreliable. We’ve been calling for help.”

Ahsoka frowned. “Master Yoda hadn’t heard from you so he sent me to deliver the message.”

Anakin sighed as he turned away. “Oh great, they don’t even know that we’re in trouble.”

“Good thing I assume the worst”, Lane teased. “I sent as many troops as the Admiral could spare- I know it is not much but I have the supplies I promised and you can try sending a signal through my ship.”

Lane left the Jedis and the Padawan to attempt contact. There were plenty of supplies that needed to be loaded out of his ship. Medical, food, ammunition. The duration of the war that Lane had been involved in left the Pilot knowing that more supplies were always needed. It didn’t matter how well things seemed to be going because things changed quickly.

The medics were thankful for the extra supplies for their brothers. Lane helped patch a few up. The soldiers all recognized him. The Pilot had quite the reputation.

“Sir”, a trooper grabbed Lane’s attention. “Captain Rex is in the lookout post.”

Lane pursed his lips. “Of course he is.”

The troopers nearby chuckled. Any trooper that had been around long enough knew those two were generally attached at the hip. If the trooper didn’t inform the Pilot where Rex was, he would’ve gone searching on his own. Lane waved off the laughs and headed to the lookout post.

Rex had his back to Lane when he entered the post. Lane grinned. The other troopers were looking around through their binoculars to keep an eye on the enemy. Rex had his helmet off, watching for a signal from the other posts. They were littered across the city.

Lane stepped up behind Rex silently. To prevent a blaster accident, Lane placed a hand over each holster when he leaned forward.

“Oh, Captain~”

Rex jumped, nearly dropping the binoculars. One hand tried to go for a blaster but was blocked by a hand. Rex looked back before scowling.

“Lane, don’t do that.”

“Couldn’t resist.” Lane leaned back against the balcony wall as Rex looked back through the binoculars. “What are you waiting on?”

“A signal concerning the droids movement… How’s the blockade around Christophsis?”

“Pretty thick, I won’t lie. I knew it wasn’t pretty down here but I didn’t know you guys were in this much trouble. I would’ve pressed for another squad to come back with me.”

“Communications have been useless lately.”

“Yea. I let Obi-Wan try to relay a message using my ship. The blockade may be the reason it’s impossible to get a message out there so I don’t know if it’ll work.”

Rex hummed in response. Lane wiped a scuff off the shoulder piece of Rex’s armor. The two fell into a comfortable silence. When Rex was signaled, he responded with a raised fist. The binoculars lowered.

“Good news?”

Rex opened his mouth to answer but noticed that Anakin was approaching. The Captain walked halfway to meet him. Lane looked back out over the city. The towers were huge and covered in the tough green crystal that the planet was known for. It was gorgeous. Sadly, it was all being torn up by war.

“What’s the status, Rex?” Anakin raised an eyebrow.

“Fine for now, sir. They’re gearing up for another assault.” Rex looked at Ashoka, “Who’s the youngling?”

Ahsoka turned. “I’m Master Skywalker’s Padawan. The name’s Ahsoka Tano.”

Rex looked at Anakin in surprise. “Sir, I thought you said you’d never had a Padawan?”

“There’s been a mix-up”, Anakin tried to explain. “The youngling isn’t with me.”

Lane walked over. “Yes, she is. Yoda was very specific that I deliver her to you. Trust me, I was as surprised as you are.”

Ahsoka grinned at Anakin. “You’re stuck with me, Skyguy.”

Rex and Lane began to laugh at the nickname. Rex covered his mouth to stifle it. Lane grabbed onto Rex’s shoulder as he only laughed louder. Anakin was visibly irate and turned on the Padawan.

“What did you just call me? Don’t get snippy with me, little one. Ya know, I don’t even think you’re old enough to be a Padawan.”

“Well, maybe I’m not. But Master Yoda thinks I am.”

“Well, you’re not with Master Yoda now. So if you’re ready, you better start proving it. Captain Rex will show you how a little respect will go a long way.”

The Captain looked very confused. “Uh, right. Come on, youngling.”

Ahsoka grit her teeth. “Padawan.”

Captain Rex led the Padawan away. Lane looked over at Anakin. The Jedi still seemed very annoyed. The pilot gently elbowed him. Anakin looked at Lane, eyes narrowed.

“C’mon, is having a Padawan learner so bad?”

“She’s only going to slow me down.”

“Maybe you should slow down.” Lane sighed. “You’re supposed to be a peacekeeper, not a soldier, Ani. This is a good opportunity for you. To remind you what’s important.”

“And what would that be?” 

“Found family and shared values. At least give her a chance.”

Anakin stared at Lane for a moment before nodding. “Fine.”

“Good man.” Lane patted his back.


	9. Stepping Up On The Front

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle of Christophsis rages on as the Droid Army appears to have the advantage. It may take the teamwork of a Captain and a Pilot to regain the upper hand.

“Uh, Anakin, please tell me those aren’t shields?”

Anakin turned to where Lane was pointing. In the distance, on the droids side, a large shield was powering up. It would make it impossible to use the cannons against the droids. Anakin cursed under his breath. The clones were ordered to pull back a little for safety.

Obi-Wan was waiting at the war table when Anakin and Lane arrived. Rex and Ashoka showed up shortly after. R2 brought up a map of the city where the battle was taking place. The shield generators had to be taken down if the Republic stood any chance.

“The shield generator’s somewhere in this area”, Obi-Wan pointed. “They’re slowly increasing the diameter and keeping it just ahead of their troops.”

“Heavy cannons are going to be useless against that”, Rex stated.

“As they get closer, I suppose we could try to draw them into the buildings.” Obi-Wan looked at the map closer. “That might level the playing field a little bit.”

“If that shields’ gonna be such a problem, why don’t we just take it out”, Ashoka asked.

Rex looked at the Padawan. “Easier said than done.”

“Well, I, for one-” Anakin cleared his throat “-agree with her.”

Lane titled his head. “I think I saw the generators when I flew in- if I’m right, then they would be here.”

R2 zoomed in on the area Lane had pointed out. It was within the same area Obi-Wan had estimated. Lane’s intel gave them a tighter window. It would make it easier to pinpoint the generators and destroy them. 

Anakin nodded happily. “Someone has to get to that shield generator and destroy it. That’s the key.”

Obi-Wan hummed. “Right then, maybe you two can tip-toe through the enemy lines and solve this particular problem together.”

Ashoka looked thrilled. “Can do, Master Kenobi.”

“I’ll decide what we do”, Anakin snapped. 

Obi-Wan turned back to the map. “If Rex and I can engage them here, you two may have a chance to get through their lines undetected here.”

Rex crossed his arms. “They won’t have much time. The droids far outnumber us. So our ability to street mine is limited without the use of heavy cannons. They will march forward under the protection of their shield until they are right on top of our cannons, then they will blow them away.”

“We’ll figure out a way.” Ashoka looked back at Anakin, “C’mon Master, let’s go.”

The Padawan and Master walked off. Anakin could be heard scolding Ashoka for her behavior. Lane chuckled to himself. Obi-Wan smirked as he watched them go.

“They make quite a pair, don’t they sir?” Rex looked at his General, “You think they have a chance?”

“They better. If they can’t turn off that shield generator before it reaches the heavy cannons, there will be no escape for any of us.”

“I have a backup plan.” Rex and Obi-Wan looked back at Lane. “If anyone wants to know.”

Rex snorted. “If it’s anything compared to your strategies in Dejarik, best not.”

“I, for one, am curious”, Obi-Wan replied when Lane pouted at Rex’s comment.

Lane approached the war board. After elbowing Rex in the abs, which hurt Lane more than anything, the Pilot took a quick look at the board. Tilting their head to do some math, Lane hummed.

“How far is the range of those droid tanks?”

“5 kilometers.”

“Oook, how far is it from the tank's location to the heavy cannons?”

“Right now? About 20? They are closing in very quickly.”

“So, as a last resort-” Lane tapped on a building to zoom in. “- we take out the support structures in this building so it falls over the path. It will stop the tanks from getting any closer and it might render their ability to accurately aim at the heavy cannons. Anything to get more time.”

Obi-Wan stroked his beard in thought. “That could work. The crystal structure wrapped in the building is strong enough to keep it mostly intact. There will be no opening for the tanks to continue forward. A very good plan, Lane, I am impressed.”

“As am I”, Rex muttered as Lane grinned.

“I’m no Captain, but even I know how to dam up a stream.”

“I’m going to go make some preparations before we start the distraction”, Obi-Wan stated before walking away.

Rex sighed, rubbing his head. Lane raised an eyebrow. The Pilot waited for the Captain to say something.

“Well? Good plan right?”

“I want you up in the lookout post.”

Lane furrowed his brow. “What? Rex, I can help down here-”

Rex grabbed Lane’s arm. “You will be. I need eyes in the sky while I’m on the ground. Just in case the clankers get smart and try to flank us.”

“Are you sure it’s not just because you’re worried about my safety?”

“It’s part of it.”

Lane sighed deeply but patted Rex’s chest armor. “Alright, you win. Just don’t make me come back down to save you.”

Rex chuckled, grabbing the hand on his chest and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Deal.”

~

It did not take very long for the shield to reach the main building. The troopers fired at the droids now that the shield was closer. Obi-Wan focused on delaying the droids. It was up to the clones to protect the heavy cannons. 

Lane frowned as he watched from the outpost. The shield had passed over his position as well. Lane looked around the outpost. There were a few boxes of ammunition. Lifting the lid of one revealed several grenades.

“Well, if it isn’t my lucky day.”

Down on the ground of battle, Rex was hiding behind some debris with Obi-Wan. The Captain had lost a good number of men with the approaching droids. They were forced to pull back.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to stop them, sir.”

“Move your troops back to the heavy cannons”, Obi-Wan ordered. “Do everything you can to protect them. I’ll delay the droids.”

“But-”

“That is an ORDER, Captain.”

Rex jumped up and moved towards his men. Obi-Wan’s lightsaber slashed through an armored droid that strayed too close. More droids were stepping inside the destroyed building. The tanks were coming in closer in the distance.

A loud explosion rocked the ground. Rex turned sharply, blaster raised. The Captain had assumed that a tank fired at the building. The assumption was incorrect. As the tank was sparking, a large hole in the side. It tilted to the right and fell to the ground. Obi-Wan looked over in confusion. 

Another explosion ignited against the side of another tank. The damage created the same result as the first. The source of the explosion was coming from Lane in the lookout post. The Pilot was throwing the grenades from the post, willing them to hit.

Some of the droids noticed Lane and began to fire at the post. Lane ducked, heart pounding in his chest. One of the tanks turned and fired at the post. Rubble flew everywhere, the explosion shaking the ground. 

Below, Obi-Wan was quickly surrounded. The Jedi disengaged his saber, surrendering. Realistically, Obi-Wan knew he just needed to give Anakin and Ashoka time to get the shield down. Time that they were quickly running out of. 

The troops were starting to get killed off quicker as the droids continued to approach. A trooper hurried towards Captain Rex. The Captain was firing from behind some debris on the battlefield.

“Sir, the General has been captured and the lookout post was destroyed. There’s no one left.”

“We’ve got to hold out”, Rex yelled. “We can’t let that shield reach the cannons! Keep fighting.”

The troopers fired at the droids for as long as they could. They were quickly losing ground. The clones fell back closer and closer to their heavy cannons. Time was running out.

In the destroyed outpost, Lane coughed harshly as he came to. The blast had knocked him out for a short period of time, but he seemed to be in one piece. Lane got back to his feet, albeit shaky. One of the ammunition boxes was untouched. Lane reached inside for the weapons before running. The Pilot knew that he had to help the troops.

The droids were pushing harder as if they realized they were winning. The troopers backed up over a piece of a fallen building. The droids marched after them. Lane jumped down onto the highest point of the hill. In his hands was a rocket launcher.

“HEY TIN CANS!” The droids stopped to turn to the Pilot. 

Lane pulled the trigger. The kickback sent Lane off his kneeled position and onto his butt. The rocket flew true and hit the droids. They exploded. Parts and debris flew everywhere.

A few of the troopers cheered for Lane. Lane got back onto his feet, hurriedly reloading the rocket launcher. Which he had no idea how to do.

Rex spotted Lane when fired the rocket initially. While he was relieved that the Pilot made it out of the outpost alive, he was now concerned by the placement Lane just put himself into. Rex ran past the troops and stood in front of Lane. The Captain began firing at the new droids. A few of the troops followed suit.

“Hurry up!”

“I’m trying! Just because I brought this thing, doesn't mean that I know how the damn thing works!”

Rex scowled under his helmet before remembering the backup plan Lane had. There was a large building just past the hill on the droids side of the battlefield. They couldn’t use the cannons to destroy the supports, but the rocket launcher would work.

“Cover me!” 

Rex knelt down by Lane. Two troops stepped forward to lay suppressing fire at the enemy. With practiced precision, Rex reloaded the rocket launcher before shouldering it. The Captain quickly aimed it at the base of the building. Fortunately, most of the crystal near the bottom of the building was destroyed and left the supports exposed.

Lane covered his ears. Rex pulled the trigger. The rocket flew past the droids and hit the intended target. The entire building shook. Rex held his breath for a moment. It did not take long for gravity to take effect. The building groaned as it began to fall.

“FALL BACK! EVERYBODY MOVE!”

Rex yanked Lane to his feet and sprinted. The other troopers on the line followed suit. Some of the droids stopped to look up in confusion. A few cried out in fear. The building showed no mercy. It crumbled to the ground, crushing several dozen droids and prevented the tanks from moving any further.

“You did it, sir!” A trooper called out.

“We aren’t done yet, boys. Keep heavy fire on those clankers! We’ve merely stalled them!” Rex turned to Lane who was coughing again. “Are you alright?”

Lane gave him a thumbs up. “Alive and kicking.”

“We’re going to talk about this later.”

“Fine by me, go be Captain, I’m alright. Go”, Lane gently pushed Rex’s arm.

Rex sighed but let Lane be. There were still plenty of clankers to destroy. Luckily within minutes, the shield finally dropped. Rex turned to his troops on the heavy cannons and ordered them to fire on the tanks. The now exposed droid army stood no chance against the heavy artillery. 

Overhead, dropships entered the atmosphere. Reinforcements had finally been able to get through the Separatist blockade around the planet. The tide of the battle was turning in the Republic's favor. 

Rex pulled Lane into one of the dropships. “Let’s go get the General and his youngling.”

Lane smirked, grabbing onto one of the handles in the ceiling. “She’s going to get really annoyed if you keep calling her that.”

Rex shrugged and removed his helmet. The Captain tucked Lane close to his side, resting his helmet against Lane’s back. Lane rolled his eyes at the gesture but allowed it. 

The ship easily flew over the battlefield towards the location of the shield generator. What was left of the generator anyway. Anakin and Ashoka were standing amongst the remains of droids. It was clear that it had been a fight to complete their mission.

“Great job, General Skywalker”, Rex greeted as the Jedi and Padawan duo boarded the ship. “You too kid.”

Anakin looked over Lane who was covered in dust. “What happened to you?”

“Tank fired at me.” 

Ashoka’s eyes went wide in shock. “Aren’t you hurt?”

“Nothing a bacta tank can’t fix”, Lane looked at Rex teasingly, stealing his go-to line.

Rex sighed and rolled his eyes. Lane smiled. Rex eventually returned the smile. They had both survived and won another battle. There would be time for strong words another time. Rex just pulled the Pilot closer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updates guys! Been busy with midterms. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I will try to update again soon!


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